SQUARE CASH: Send & Receive Payments Through Email Alone – No Charge

It has become easier in today’s age to just send someone money over the Internet, be it for payment or simply borrowing of funds. There are many ways to do this ranging from PayPal to Direct Transfers. Well, Square has made it easier and faster. In the past, one could use their debit/credit card to transfer funds through Square. With that came a fee (2-3% depending on if the card was swiped or manually entered). It seems Square just removed the middle man.

Square Cash is simple. Do you need to get your money from your account to someone else’s? Or perhaps they need to send you money. Alright. All you need is their eMail address. Just send an eMail to the person you need to send cash to, set the subject line to the amount, and CC [email protected]. The recipient can then immediately deposit the amount in their account. There are a few post steps such as verifying your credit/debit card (which should go without saying). However, it’s still much simpler and quicker – not to mention cheaper than what has taken place in the past. You do not need to know routing numbers or bank account information; and you only have to enter the debit/credit information the first time. It is then linked to your account for future transactions. Here’s the kicker… no fees. This process is completely free of charge and there is no fine print to claim otherwise.

Square Cash is accessible from any eMail or WebMail client. So no matter your platform, you can use the service. But a boon for us Droidites: there is an Android app specifically for Square Cash. Using the Android App makes it even easier. When you open the app, it offers you a number pad. You then enter a dollar amount and hit “Attach to Email”. At this point, it gives you a selection of which eMail you would like to use and it auto-fills the CC with [email protected]. All you do at this point is fill in the recipient and click send. Done. Once the entire process is complete, you will receive a verification eMail. Doesn’t get much easier than that.

Their website reflects the simplicity of its use, with its basic, almost empty background, a demonstration, and 4 links: EMAIL – ANDROID – IOS – “Get started with Cash”. Which brings up another interesting tidbit: while the app makes the process easier, it’s not necessary. You do not need to download the app as long as you have email access. There is something endearing about the minimalism of this process.

Square Cash could easily complement Square Wallet, but the intent for Square Cash is for individuals to be able to make safe transactions; whereas Square Wallet is geared more toward businesses. The security of the transactions is just as structured and verified as through Square Wallet, but allowing a peer to peer approach. As a user of Square, myself, I am looking forward to giving this new addition a full-blown test run. I just need to convince someone to give me money.